Exclusive: 2026 Asian Beach Games' message to Asia and the world

At the Asian Beach Games in Sanya, one of the two chief directors of the opening ceremony Zhang Dongxin told Sport Scene's Shen Xiang that the show is built around three themes-vitality, openness and joy-and it is directly tied to the city, the Games, and the spirit of young people in Hainan. Through these ideas, the production aims to present the image of China to the world.

The ceremony's staging is designed to be unlike previous events. Held at Tianyahaijiao, Sanya's most iconic scenic spot, it turns the beach itself into a performance space. Athletes will "walk through the waves" to enter, as if arriving on the shore of Tianyahaijiao, symbolizing people gathering by the sea for a major sporting celebration—something Zhang notes no other event has been able to do this way.

Technology provides another distinctive highlight. During the nearly 30‑minute athlete parade, intelligent robots will appear for the first time at such a ceremony. They will move continuously alongside human ushers, dancing and guiding delegations, and greeting athletes from 45 countries and regions in their own languages with personalized words of encouragement.

Zhang says the creative goal is to reflect a new chapter for Hainan as its Free Trade Port advances after customs closure. The team chose bold, innovative artistic forms to present Sanya as a vibrant, creative city powered by energetic and inventive people. Beyond the spectacle, he stresses, the performances are meant to project the confidence of Sanya, Hainan and China, a place of opportunity, safety and harmony that visitors will be eager to experience and help shape.

Every international event, Zhang argues, now serves as a window not just onto a host city, but onto Hainan Island and China as a whole. The production focuses on expressing Chinese people's confidence, vitality, creativity, courage and faith, while creating an atmosphere of peace, security, unity and hope.